WILLIAMSBURG - If you have a satellite dish or cable TV, you may have watched the popular show on TLC called "What Not to Wear." This is a must-see show for the fashion-challenged, where Stacy and Clinton solve all the woes of the targeted victim by throwing out their old wardrobe and replacing it with all the right things to wear.

This past Saturday, well over 700 women, ages 8 and up, got to experience a Christian version of "What Not to Wear" at the "Modest is Hottest" fashion show held at the New Hope Community Church in Williamsburg.

In classic "What Not to Wear" tradition, many of the women in attendance were invited on stage to model their fashion choices. Some were good and some were definitely "what not to wear," according to nationally-known speaker Shari Braendel.

The auditorium at New Hope filled with laughter as Braendel had some volunteers on stage turn around and bend over - revealing whose jeans were too low. She also had others raising their arms to reveal whose shirts were too short. Other volunteers displayed necklines which were too low and hemlines that were too high.

Braendel good-humouredly pointed out all violations to her "5 B's to avoid" rule.

The "5 B's to avoid" included visible bra straps, bust lines (visible cleavage), visible bellies or bottoms and "bubbling." (The last "B," explained Braendel, is the odd rippling, wrinkling or dimpling that occurs when denim is too tight or a bad fit.)

The point of the demonstrations was that fashion comes down to what gets attention. Braendel's message is, simply, that if a woman's physicality is spotlighted, it is going to drive attention to that part of her being. However, if clothing is chosen to highlight her entire being - rather than just a few suggestive regions - then who she is and what she is saying comes through.

Braendel used video-taped interviews with senior high school boys to drive home her point that modest is indeed hottest. The boys agreed that, if a girl dresses modestly, it shows they have respect for themselves and are confident in who they are. This is one of the main factors in what they find attractive in the opposite sex.

"This really gets to the heart of what we are doing," Braendel said. "Inner beauty is absolutely most important. But, how is it possible to display that inner beauty if you feel ugly on the outside? The ideas we teach in the show help girls to dress in a way that lets who they are shine through."

Braendel, who is a body image and fashion consultant, travels the country, staging her fashion shows at Christian women's retreats, conferences and youth events. Her focus is to remind women they are beautiful and made in God's image - exactly as He intended.

She shares her knowledge and experience with practical style advice.

Braendel offers many tips on how to present positive assets in a modest and feminine fashion.

Besides the "What Not to Wear" demonstration, the 'girls only' event itinerary also included a continental breakfast, catered lunch and breakout sessions - with topics geared toward the different age groups present. Women were also provided with an opportunity to shop from a line-up of over 20 local vendors, who displayed everything from skin and hair care products to jewelry and books.

Participants were also offered free color analysis and body typing to help them choose the most flattering colors and clothing styles for their skin and body types.

Local sponsors and vendors provided almost $7,000 worth of donations, which included coupons, door prizes and an early bird prize package. The early bird winner, Natalie Pendock of Traverse City, won a complete make-over from Pure Essence Salon, along with a shopping spree to Kohl's. She was accompanied by Shari Braendel, in a limo ride donated by New York Limos. The final part of the package was a scholarship for two to Lake Ann Camp's Women's Retreat.

The event concluded with about 15 women and teenagers making several wardrobe changes to walk the runway with "Modest is Hottest" fashion selections, provided by area retailers.

"It's been an amazing event," said 'runway model' Katie Kniss, of Fife Lake. "I loved seeing so many teenage girls here - and their response to the show was just great. There is so much pressure from the media and mall advertising that pressures girls to show cleavage. This shows they can be cute and attractive without being revealing."

The organizers of the event - Kathy Gelinas of Kalkaska and Sarah Holmes of Acme - both have a heart for mentoring young women and bringing the wisdom of older generations to younger generations.

"The fashion show was one way of bringing girls of all ages together to share advice on the issue of modesty and fashion," Holmes said. "We had such an overwhelming response that we are already considering holding another event in 2010."

The event was sold out - of the 650 tickets - shortly after the early bird registration deadline of Dec. 15. This prompted the organizers to add a last minute, evening 'Teen Edition' to the event.

"Next time we would like to plan a Friday night teen event and promote it more to the area schools," said Gelinas, whose teenage daughters modeled in the fashion show. "It's so hard for teenagers to find appropriate clothing - but following the 5 B's makes shopping easier. Especially with Shari's tips for layering."

Brook Gelinas, 16, found the fashion show encouraging.

"It has inspired me to continue to dress modestly and not conform to what others are wearing," Brook said.